Weft inserting mechanism



June 6, 1967 M. R. FLAMAND 3,323,555

WEFT INSERTING MECHANI SM Filed March 29, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. MHURICE R. FLHMHND.

A T TO'RNE Y Junefi, W67 M. R. FLAMAND 39323555 WEF'I INSERTINGMECHANISM Filed March 29, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet :5

I NVEN TOR. MAURICE RFILHMHND.

pqimo A TYYf/RNE Y United States Patent 3,323,555 WEFT INSERTINGMECHANISM Maurice R. Flamand, Lonsdale, R.I., assignor to DraperCorporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed Mar. 29,1965, Ser. No. 443,475 1 Claim. (Cl. 139-122) This invention pertains toan improvement in shuttleless looms of the type wherein filling is drawnfrom an outside source and placed in a warp shed by flexible insertingmembers such as tapes and, more particularly, to a means for cooling thetapes as they are wrapped about and extended from oscillating wheels bywhich they are driven.

It is a general object of the inevntion to provide a positive means forcirculating the air within the substantially enclosed members that housethe oscillating Wheels to effect cooling of the tape members.

It is a further object of the invention to effect a cooling of theflexible tapes as they are wrapped about and extended from the rims ofthe oscillating wheels to permit a closer setting of the shoe membersadapted to guide and maintain the tapes in close proximity with the rimof the wheel, thereby providing a smoother and more desirable runningcondition.

A further and more specific object of the invention is that of coolingthe tape members to obtain an improved and more desirable weavingcondition, as a reduction in the tape heat permits a truer and moreaccurate control of the tape settings at the filling transfer pointwithin the shed formed by warp threads.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following more detailed disclosure.

Shuttleless looms of the type to which the instant invention pertainshave reciprocable filling carriers which are alternately wound upon andunwound from the rims of wheels mounted for oscillating movement withinsubstantially enclosed housings disposed at the sides of the loom. Thistype of loom utilizes an outside source of filling, that is, the supplyis not carried to and fro through the warp shed by a shuttle or thefilling inserting member itself. The filling thread is measured and cutto the required length for extending across the width of the fabricbeing woven. A first carrier inserts the filling into the warp shed to apoint adjacent the center thereof where it is then transferred to asecond carrier member which extends it through the remaining portion ofsaid shed to complete the insertion of a single pick.

A number of United States patents describe and clear- 1y illustrate thelooms and mechanism for actuating the filling carriers which are adaptedtobe cooled by the function of the instant invention and it isconsidered unnecessary at this point to insert herein a detaileddescription of these mechanisms. Attention is hereby drawn to UnitedStates Patents 2,604,123, 2,810,403 and 2,888,956.

The flexible tapes when being withdrawn from the shed are wrappedtightly against the rim or outer periphery of their respective tapewheel, but when they are being unwrapped from the wheel and insertedinto the shed, a guide means is required to hold them radially inwardand in close proximity with the rim.

Various types of tape restraining devices have been utilized which haveincluded such elements as rollers, magnets and arcuate shoe members madeof such materials as impregnated wood or plastic. The more common formof tape restraining means in use today is that of the arcuated shoetype. Each oscillating wheel is provided with a plurality of these shoescircumferentially disposed about and in close proximity with the outerperiphery of the wheel. On the inner arcuated surface of each shoe3,323,555 Patented June 6, 1967 it is common practice to utilize a wearand friction resistant material for guiding the flexible tape members asthey are unwound from their respective wheels and inserted into the warpshed.

Although this means of restraining the flexible tapes has performed itsfunction with satisfactory results, the frictional heat created byrepeated oscillations of the wheel members and the outer surface of saidtapes making contact with the wear and friction resistant materialforming the inner surfaces of the shoe members, has created conditionswhereby a cooler running tape would be advantageous with respect to theoperating efliciency of a loom.

The inner arcuated surface of each restraining shoe member has a crownedcross-sectional configuration which provides line contact with theflexible tapes as they are unwound from their respective wheel. Shouldthis line contact be closer to one edge of the tape than the other, thefrictional contact will cause that side of the tape to absorb more heatthan its opposite side. Such a condition has been known to create abi-metallic condition whereby the warmer side of said tape will bow in alateral direction. The bowing of flexible tapes under such conditions isconsidered quite serious for it alters the intended and desired positionof the carrier members at the filling transfer point within the shed. Anextreme condition, such as both tapes being caused to bow in oppositedirections, will create a more serious condition whereby one carrierwill fail to transfer the filling with a possible collision of thecarriers resulting in breakage thereof and the tearing out of many warpthreads.

Another problem with excessive frictional heat is that of the wear andfriction resistant material on the inner surface of the shoe memberswhich becomes soft to the extent of increasing the fritcional drag onthe tape members as they are unwound from their wheels.

The device according to the instant invention provides a positivecirculation of air within the housings in which the wheels are mountedfor oscillating movement. The housing itself includes a plurality of airinlet and outlet ports or openings and the wheel mounted therein isprovided with a plurality of spaced vane members. These vane members arefixedly attached to the spoke portions of the wheel adjacent the rimthereof and are so formed as to cause a positive circulation of airaround said rim and the pathway of the tape as the wheel moves in thatdirection to unwind the tape therefrom. During the actual oscillation ofthe wheel members, air is drawn through intake ports disposed in thehousing adjacent the hub of the wheel, and the warmer circulated air isexpelled through the outlet ports disposed adjacent the outer edge ofsaid housing.

The invention will hereinafter be described in detail by reference tospecific embodiments thereof one of which is illustrated in theaccompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a shuttleless loom as seenlooking from the front thereof showing the various components of theinvention and their relationship to the flexible tape and tape wheel;

FIG. 2 is a view partially in section taken along line 22 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view partially in section of a portion of the tape wheel andhousing showing a modification of the air circulating means.

Referring now to the figures of drawing, enough of a shuttleless loom isillustrated in FIG. 1 to serve as a basis for a detailed description ofthe invention as applied thereto. In this figure of drawing there isshown the tape wheel housing which assembles to the left-hand side ofthe loom as seen looking from the front thereof. This housing isindicated generally by numeral and although the right-hand housing isnot illustrated it is to be understood that it is of similarconstruction and the cooling device to be more fully describedsubsequently also functions in a like manner at that end of the loom.The tape wheel housing 10 is provided with an integrally formed mountingbracket 11 which serves as a means for attaching it to the lefthandloomside (not shown).

A tape wheel generally indicated by numeral 12 is mounted foroscillating movement in the housing 10 and is supported by a centrallydisposed stud 13 that is driven in a manner fully described in theaforementioned patents. This tape Wheel includes a hub portion 141, aplurality of integrally formed and radially directed spoke members 15which extend from said hub and terminate with a rim 16.

A carrier inserting member or flexible tape 17 has one end thereoffixedly attached to the rim or outer periphery of the tape wheel bymeans of a bolt 18 and a nut 19.

A plurality of arcuated tape restraining shoes 20 are adjustablyattached to the housing 10 adjacent its outer edge and in closeproximity with the outer periphery of the tape wheel for substantiallyits circumferential extent. The clearance between the inner surface ofthe tape restraining shoes 20 and the rim of the tape wheel is of adistance sufficient to permit the flexible tape 17 to be wrapped aboutand extended from said rim as said wheel is caused to oscillate.

A housing cover 21 (FIG. 1) attaches to the outer and forward edge ofthe housing 10 by means of forwardly extending stud member 22 and nuts22 and to illustrate clearly the various components within the housing,a large portion of said cover is broken away and is shown as being madefrom a transparent material. This cover encloses the oscillating tapewheel and tape restraining shoes within the housing 10 and serves toprevent the accumulation of dust and lint from interfering with theparts therein as well as a safety feature for preventing any possibleinterference with said oscillating tape wheel.

The flexible tape cooling device according to the invention includes aplurality of air circulating vane members which are depicted generallyin FIG. 1 by numeral 23. These vane members are angularly formed havinga first surface 24 which includes an aperture 25 (FIG. 2) through whicha cap screw 26 is adapted to pass for mounting said members on thespokes 15 immediately adjacent to the rim 16 of the wheel. A secondsurface 27 in continuation of surface 24 and extending obliquely fromthe latter is so disposed as to cause a positive circulation of air inthe direction of the restraining shoes 20, the rim 16 of the wheel andaround the tape itself attached to said rim as said wheel moves in thatdirection to unwind said tape.

To provide a continuous change of air during loom operation, the housing10 is provided with a plurality of openings or ports which are sopositioned that the positive air circulation by the vane members causesair to be drawn into the housing through certain ports and the warmerair to be expelled through others. Numeral 28 depicts those openingswhich serve as intake ports and numeral 29 identifies those portsthrough which the warmer air is expelled.

FIG. 3 shows a modified means of circulating the air within the tapewheel housing It and includes air intake ports 28' which by means of thevanes 23 on the oscillating tape wheel 12 draw air into said housing asshown by the indicating arrows A. The vanes are disposed on the spokes15 of the wheel so as to direct the air outwardly toward the rim thereofto effect cooling of the tape 17 and the tape restraining shoes 20. Ahousing cover 21 attaches to the housing 10 in the same manner as thecover shown in FIG. 1; however, the outside diameter of cover 21' issomewhat larger than cover 21 and defines a circumferential opening 29'between the outer periph- 4 cry of the housing It) and said cover 21.This circumferential opening 29 serves as an air outlet port and permitsthe air being circulated by the vane members to escape as illustrated bythe indicating arrows B.

In operation, the flexible tapes are alternately wound upon and unwoundfrom the rims of the tape wheels which are caused to oscillatethroughout slightly less than a full revolution. These flexible tapesare in pressing contact with the wheels rim when being wound on thelatter as it is withdrawn from the shed and when being unwound orinserted into the shed, the arcuated shoe members 20 serve to hold saidtape radially inwardly in close proximity with said rim.

During the unwinding of the tape, the pitch of the vane members whichmove with the wheel is such that they influence the air within thehousing and direct it in a positive manner toward the restraining shoes,the wheels rim and the flexible tape to effect a substantial cooling ofthese elements.

A significant advantage derived from this means of reducing theaccumulation of frictional heat is that of being able to maintain closertolerances between the inner surfaces of the tape restraining shoes andthe rim of the wheel thereby providing further control of said tape anda smoother operating condition.

While the vane members are shown to be of a specific configuration andas being attached to the spokes of the tape wheel, they may, of course,be varied as to their form and shape so long as the desired circulationof air is brought about, and they may further be formed integrally withthe spokes, if desired.

While one embodiment and a modification of the invention have beendisclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may becarried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to belimited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace allvariations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the claim.

I claim:

In a shuttleless loom of the type having means for inserting fillingfrom a stationary supply which includes a wheel having a tape-supportingrim, said wheel being rotatably supported for oscillation of less thanone full revolution, a flexible tape attached to and adapted to bewrapped about and extended from said rim, a plurality of arcuated shoesmembers disposed in spaced relation and in close proximity with saidrim, a housing within which said wheel is mounted for oscillatingmovement, said housing having a plurality of air-ventilating intakeports radially disposed relative to the hub of said wheel, a housingcover removably fixed to overlie the outer periphery of said housingdefining a circumferential opening therebetween, and a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged vane members fixedly attached to said wheelinwardly of said rim, each one of said vanes being angularly disposedfor directing intermittent circulating streams of air about said tapeand toward said circumferential opening with each oscillating movementof said wheel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,205,975 6/1940 Heyer 74230.172,230,575 2/1941 Myers 74230.17 2,810,403 10/1957 Sanderson et a1139-122 2,893,253 7/1959 Beerner 74-23017 3,159,184 12/1964 Brown et a1.139-122 3,175,587 3/1965 Gove et al 139-127 ROBERT R. MACKEY, ActingPrimary Examiner.

MERVIN STEIN, Examiner.

J. KEECHI, Assistant Examiner.

